(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an L-shaped bulb socket in which a bulb inlet port is arranged to be perpendicular to a connector inlet port.
(2) Statement of the Prior Art
Heretofore, for example, a light device for an automobile has utilized an L-shaped bulb socket, which has a bulb inlet port and a connector inlet port arranged to be perpendicular to the bulb inlet port and accommodates terminal metal fixtures each of which has a pair of clamp portions adapted to hold each terminal of a bulb and a male terminal joined perpendicularly to the clamp portions.
Such a conventional L-shaped bulb socket is generally made by insert-molding the terminal metal fixtures (metal terminals). However, a process of producing the socket requires much labor. Thus, a method of assembling the socket has been developed. An example thereof is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-137588 (1987).
For convenience of explanation, a conventional L-shaped bulb socket will be described below by referring to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the conventional L-shaped bulb socket and FIG. 5 is a front elevational view taken along lines V--V in FIG. 4.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the L-shaped bulb socket is provided in its housing with an L-shaped fixture accommodating chambers d which include a bulb inlet port b and a connector inlet port c arranged perpendicularly to the bulb inlet port b. The housing a is provided in its front portion with slots e which extend from the bulb inlet port b to the connector inlet port c. Terminal metal fixtures d are pushed into the fixture accommodating chambers d through the slots e. When an elastic lock piece h projected from a side face of clamp portions g of each terminal metal fixture d engages with a recess i formed in a side wall of each chamber d, the fixture d is secured in the chamber d.
However, since the slots e are left open even after the terminal metal fixtures f are inserted in the housings a, any conductive elements can easily enter the slots e to contact with the fixture f.
Since the terminal metal fixture f is prevented from coming out of the housing a only by engagement of the elastic lock piece h and recess i, the fixture is readily subject to vibration and consequent detachment from the housing a.